Shielded electrical connectors have been used for many years in a wide variety of applications. In high speed and other telecommunication and computer applications, it is important to shield the transmitted signals at a connection interface to prevent the ingress and egress of radiated emissions. For instance, shielded modular jacks are well known in the electronics industry. The shielding of these jacks reduces the transmission of noise and reduces the sensitivity to external noise, thereby allowing a higher data transmission speed than with non-shielded modular jacks. In other words, due to the ever-increasing data transmission speeds, and with the close spacing of juxtaposed conductors in the modular jacks, excessive noise (cross talk) limits the data transmission speed capability of modular jacks.
Shielded electrical connectors, such as modular jacks, often are mounted within a metal panel or chassis, generally from the rear. At least portions of the shield of the connector or jack project outwardly in grounding contact with the metal panel or chassis. Typically, the shield has cantilevered tabs struck from the walls of the metal shield, the tabs having free ends for engaging the metal chassis. The cantilevered tabs are elongated, and in some connectors of the prior art the tabs extend forwardly from a rear location toward a front surface of the connector. In other connectors of the prior art, the tabs extend from the front surface of the connector rearwardly toward a rearward location. In either instance, the elongated tabs extend in the insertion/removal direction of the connector into and out of the metal chassis. Problems have been encountered with such grounding means of the prior art because the elongated metal tabs have a tendency to buckle under stresses, particularly if the tabs become hooked or jammed during insertion or removal of the connector. In some connectors of the prior art, the housings even have been cut-away to accommodate and protect the distal ends of the grounding tabs. This requires customizing the housing, by providing cut outs to accommodate the tabs and protect them from buckling in use.
The present invention is directed to solving the above problems in a shielded electrical connector such as a shielded modular jack.